We've interviewed dozens of founders for a new series on product-market fit.

Chris Laughlin

Pitch Assist

I’m not a designer’s designer. I don’t wear glasses, collect posters or send out letterpress Christmas cards.

I make the best pitches you’ve ever seen. As Design Lead for First Round’s Pitch Assist, I spend all my time making founders and their companies look good. But it’s not just about looking good. It’s far more important to me that we clearly communicate your revenue model and go-to-market than to debate which shade of blue is most like the sky (it’s #7EC0EE). Yes, the slides will look amazing, and, yes, you’ll get comments about them from investors, but at the end of the day, I optimize for one thing: getting the term sheet.

I do it live. The bulk of my work is done real-time, in-person, with you and your CMO watching. In Pitch Assist, we tweak it until it’s right, then we rehearse it until you say “I think I’m going to be sick…” (That’s an actual founder quote.)

I throw it all on the table. The best ideas come to light when people aren’t afraid to put something out there and see if it sticks. It’s why we spend hours pouring over your business plan and metrics with you to make sure that we leave no stone unturned. (We’ve heard the process can be quite cathartic, actually.)

I’m device, app and platform-agnostic. I don’t care what type of machine or OS you use, I’ll figure it out and make you something beautiful that your team and you can actually use. I’ve worked in every design and presentation app on every system, and if you need a deck done yesterday for a pitch on Friday, I’ll make it happen. (Unless today is Friday. Wait, why are you pitching on a Friday?)

I also do other things. I’m the co-founder of 4th & King, an SF-based agency dedicated solely to helping companies look their best. I take the 6 AM train into the city from San Jose, where I live with my wife and son. Her favorite font is Calibri, and he’s still working on the alphabet. (But it’ll probably be Wingdings.)